A Captain's Pride
by jaclynkaileigh
Summary: She was better than Erza Scarlet, and she was going to prove it./He had spent years away from her, away from her alter, away from everyone, and at last he was bridging that gap. He was going to make up for all the times he'd lost with her.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: To be honest when I originally planned on writing a FT fanfic, I always saw myself starting with a NaLu story, however, I recently read some Mystwalker written by Daniel Monteray (if you haven't checked out his work, you definitely should) and couldn't help but write this idea out. There is nothing special about it, just had it come to mind. This has a bit of deviation from the exact occurrences in the Edolas Arc.**

**Disclaimer: No rights to FT.**

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Glaring into the steady gaze of the man she had once thought of as a traitor, and now regarded as her King, Erza did her best to put the conversation that was on a near constant loop out of her mind. The fight between her and the Earthland version of herself, had given her plenty to think about. Despite wanting to forget about the existence of her emotionally driven doppelganger, Knightwalker couldn't help but allow some of their exchange sink in. The Fairy lover had called her out on being like her, even if only at the basest, and most unacknowledged level. Just the idea that somewhere inside her was a woman that she was unfamiliar with, set her on edge. Erza had always known exactly who she was. She was the dauntless Captain of the Royal Army, and she had never cared for anyone or anything, except her king and country. Being enthralled by weapons, tactics and seeking out Fairy Tail, she was never like typical women. When people heard her name, they bowed in respect or shuffled away in fear, and she was completely okay with that. What she wasn't okay with was being told that her alter loved the alter of the deserter, Jellal. Oh sure, Scarlet hadn't out and out said that, but what she had admitted was enough for them both to know without a doubt where she stood. For some unknown reason that her sent her mind to reeling, this fact stunned her more than she cared to admit.

Just the knowledge that any version of her could be attracted to _him_ was enough to goad her into anger. She had always harbored a special hatred for the cerulean haired son of Faust, vowing that when she found him, she would savor every second of light leaving his eyes. His eyes, which up until recently she had believed to be a nearly coffee color. With all of the frequent and close contact they had had she now noted them to be a darkened green, almost olive, but deeper.

After the fall of Faust, she was surprised when Jellal took her as his own Captain, seemingly forgetting the bad blood she had held towards him. Knowing that he wasn't a fool, Erza suffered no illusions that he hadn't known about her grudge towards him. However, she spent far too much time focusing on why he had kept her by his side. She had spent weeks studying him to see what made him tick, all the while wondering what had driven the other red head to care for the Earthland version of him. In time, she saw that there **were** noble traits about him; he seemed to genuinely care about the well being of their people, and was one hundred percent committed to showing everyone that life was more than sustainable without the magic they had grown to depend on. Even though she wanted nothing more than to continue to despise him, and to know exactly where she stood with him, she didn't.

On more than one occasion of late, King Jellal had sought her counsel specifically. For some reason he seemed to value her opinion more than that of his official advisors. Each time, she found herself distracted by the way his lips formed words, and the earthy smell of him. She wondered briefly if Earthland Erza's downfall had begun with such innocuous moments, and if the same thing was destined to happen to her. Was there was an invisible string attached to the two of them that would inevitably lead her to feel the same way for her king as her counterpart? Or even worse, were these little meetings a product of his regard for Scarlet? Even he had to know that just because the two of them were identical in appearance didn't mean they were the same person. Was that the logic behind not banishing her from Edolas along with Faust? Could he possibly believe that she was a suitable replacement and not realize that she was a vastly different woman?

With these questions and doubts about her own attachment to the man, she began taking more remote tasks in an attempt to distance herself from the situation. This worked for around six months before he caught on to her withdrawal, and started issuing assignments that continuously kept her close. Just his nearness was driving her insane, it was like he was going out of his way to find legitimate excuses to keep her by his side. The most recent being the hardest to cope with; sparring. The King had taken it upon himself to ensure that he was prepared at all times for an attack. Having a combative nature and plenty of pent up frustration, this type of activity would have typically released some of that tension she had been shouldering, that is had it not meant being touched repeatedly at times by the man. To play off the proximity between them, she was often rough with him, but even that had backfired as during this one fight in particular, she realized how it affected the both of them.

* * *

Thrusting her sword towards his right side, the sound of metal harshly meeting metal rang out in the air as he made a counter swipe. As her already loose pants began to sag haphazardly, she noted that he was improving and that she would have to adjust her style accordingly. In the moment she had taken to have this thought, he had grabbed the hilt of her sword, preventing her from any offensive attacks, before wrapping a thickly muscled arm around her throat. With the arm that he had believed to be defenseless, she used his weight to her advantage by drawing him further into her personal space. She had learned at a young age that the best way to disengage an opponent was to be as close to them as possible, leaving them with fewer options. She heard a husky chuckle from behind her, as he thought he had her where he wanted her. His warm breath against her neck was almost enough to concede the fight to him for all the sense it left her with, but she was built to withstand more than that. Pulling both of their limbs back and upwards into his solar plexus, she smirked as her elbow knocked the wind out of him. Taking the opportunity while he was disabled, she flipped him using the same arm that stubbornly hung onto the base of her weapon. Unfortunately, he must not have been as incapacitated as she initially believed because as his feet landed from her pitch, he stepped back onto her foot, entangling them both into a mess unsteady limbs. As her body hit the ground, she all but snarled when his weight also fell on her to support.

Her initial reaction was to push him off, continue fighting and pretend their tumble hadn't occurred, however when she met his heated gaze, she found all previous thoughts quickly dissipating. Unconsciously, her eyes were drawn to the tattoo that she observed was the same color as her hair, and she found herself wondering about it's origin. His azure bangs hung shaggily in his face, and she had to resist the overwhelming desire to move them to better see his expression. They had been laying there awkwardly on top of each other for far longer than she had ever been close to any person. The feel of his heart thudding was as noticeable as her own harsh pulse. Jellal's eyes searched her features, as if looking for something specifically in them. Apparently he found whatever he was searching for because his head dipped minutely and his lips brushed softly against hers. Sucking in a breath before his mouth claimed hers fully, the ever famous Fairy Hunter closed her eyes as she was overrun by new sensations. He began tracing her bottom lip with his tongue, and his breath was hot on her face. Feeling his teeth lightly graze her lower lip, she sighed into his mouth as she moved her hand up his sweat sheened arm muscles. They explored each other with an unhurried sense of time, and she was completely lost to the weight of his body and the salty taste of mouth. His tongue moving against hers caused a tingle to build low within her, making her eyes snap open at the realization. Brusquely, she pushed him from her, catching him off guard. Wiping her mouth firmly, she slid out from underneath him. She stood abruptly, and despite him calling after her, all but ran from the man.

When she got to her quarters, she shut and locked the door before sinking down it's hard wooden surface. What the **HELL** had just happened? Jellal had kissed her. Her KING had kissed her, and she had allowed it. She was trembling...her, Erza Knightwalker, was completely undone by the physical closeness of a man she had always despised. If she was honest with herself, her reaction wasn't due to only his looks, but also because of the man that she now believed him to be. However, no matter what she may be coming to terms with, he was still her king and even if he wasn't she wouldn't be a replacement for anyone. She had never been an emotionally driven woman, but she had a sinking suspicion that any attraction Jellal felt for her was nothing but the afterglow from his lingering feelings for Erza Scarlet, and that chafed her pride. Moving to stand, Erza walked to the single full length mirror to examine herself. Crimson hair that fell to her shoulders now was well mussed and her lips were mildly swollen from their heated exchange. Touching her fingertips to them, she recalled his wounded look when she eradicated his taste from her mouth. Blue brows had furrowed in pain at her gesture, and she had nearly felt guilty, nearly.

After replaying the incident in her mind a couple times, she had debated confronting him about it before deciding that the best action was no action in this case. Perhaps he was just seeking female companionship, or was missing her alter, either way she was sure he would probably dismiss it as well. Changing into her usual attire, she glanced at her reflection in the glass once more and headed out to regroup with her men.

* * *

As she approached the main hall, she noted despondently that of course Jellal was included in the gathering near the opening. Not wanting for it to appear that she had been affected by their encounter, she tipped her chin upward and steeled her expression. She was a woman who had fought men many times his superior, she would not allow herself to be cowed by any imagined insecurity. Out of the two of them, he was the one who should have reason to second guess themselves. He had kissed her, and even if she had returned the contact, she still hadn't initiated it. She felt herself flush just at the memory of his mouth on hers, and she hoped that he hadn't caught her momentary fluster. Calling on every ounce of control she had, she schooled her face into a bored scowl.

When she joined the group she began to ask for updates without preamble. Giving orders to the guards, she performed her duties as if he wasn't standing there. Running down a list of things that needed taken care of, Erza checked items off in her mind while considering if she had missed anything. The last of the men had dispersed to attend to their tasks, leaving just the two of them. Both stood awkwardly, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other waiting for him to say something; he didn't, though he stared openly at her as if he wanted to. Finally the silence stretched out and became uncomfortable, so she turned to leave. His hand shot out and prohibited her from exiting, and she raised a fiery brow to her ruler questioningly.

"Erza, I- I never meant to-" Unwilling to hear his apology for forgetting that she was not Scarlet, she immediately cut him off. With him she had gotten lucky, for had she interrupted Faust while he was speaking, he would have had her mouth sewn shut for such an impertinence. If anything, this was further proof that he indeed had a soft spot for the Fairy lover.

"Your Majesty, there is no need for words, I have already disregarded the matter. Let's just move forward and pretend it never happened, I think that will be for the best of both of our interests." All she wanted was to be out of his presence, for some reason his nearness made her uneasy, like she couldn't trust herself where he was concerned.

"Sure, of course. That is exactly what I was thinking." Feeling her face fall at his casual demeanor and acceptance, she felt something foreign and unexpected sweep through her; the necessity to cry. Hot, stinging tears pricked at her mahogany eyes. She had to leave, she needed space to get her shit together. She refused to be weak.

"If that's all, I'll be heading out to help with the training of the new troops." Not waiting for a reply, she briskly headed away from the nonchalant man who had reduced her to a sniveling school girl.

Turning a corner, she checked to make sure it was abandoned before slamming her fist into the cool stone of the wall in an attempt to regain her composure. Thankfully, the action brought a strange comfort to her and she was able to focus on the physical pain rather than the unfamiliar pinch of emotional turmoil. Erza had never let anyone get to her, and she would be damned if she would begin to now. Seeing blood begin to bloom on her knuckles, she drug in an unsteady breath and shoved the useless thoughts away. She was stronger than this, and she was better than her counterpart. A concept began to form as she repeated that last sentence in her mind. She was better than Erza Scarlet, and she was going to prove it.

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**AN: Well, there it is, my very first FT fanfic...whether or not I continue this in a multi chapter is completely up to you guys! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Well I guess I will be continuing this into a multi-chapter. I want to thank everyone that favorited, followed and reviewed the first chapter for taking the time to let me know that you were interested in more. Huge thanks to; Le Confidant, moonlightrurouni, celtic-lady95, Gruvia rocks, nekobella, Late Bloomers, Bao Blossom, Mikigotagun, kittyhawk09, Holymagic, Anne the Fire and both of the guests who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: No rights to FT!**

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Watching her departing back hurry down the hallway, Jellal couldn't help but release an audible sigh of frustration. Recalling the defiantly shining eyes that he had been unable to look away from, he wondered just why she had seemed hurt by his words. Knightwalker had been the one to quickly brush aside their encounter, even going so far as to ruthlessly wipe his taste from her mouth. This was why he couldn't understand her nearly pained expression at his agreement with the statement _**she**_ had made. The action hadn't added up with how fervently she had returned the kiss initially; she had sighed into his mouth and touched him freely. She had seemed as if she wanted him. He had watched her carefully, taking the widening of her pupils and the quickening of her breath as proof that she too felt the connection that drew him helplessly to her.

* * *

When he was still young, before he had assigned himself the task of stopping his father, he had been a fairly lonely boy. Everyday he had done little besides study subjects that King Faust had deemed suitable for a future leader of Edolas. He was quick to learn and didn't find his courses to be a source of boredom. He was lucky in the fact that he was always interested in having more knowledge, as opposed to feeling stifled from such a disciplined schedule. Really the only thing he wished to have was the friendship of someone, or anyone who wasn't forced by some foreign diplomat to play nice just because he was a prince.

One day he had been studying in the garden before his next lesson when he heard what sounded like an argument coming from the open door beside him. Trying to make out who was fighting, he realized that one of the voices was distinctly feminine. He became curious about the identity of the girl, and tried to discreetly glance inside to get a look at her. A second later when he heard the girl's words becoming louder, he attempted to make himself less noticeable to her by curling up closer to the tree he was sitting against. A streak of brilliant crimson passed by him and he heard her murmuring agitatedly to herself.

" -Arrogant, thick headed ass! I'll show him, I'll show all of them." Raising a blue eyebrow at her outburst, he chuckled quietly. What a foul mouth she had! Instead of finding it classless like he might typically, he found it humorous. This made him even more interested in seeing the speaker of such crass language. As she began to pace back and forth in front of him, he was finally able to get a better look at her...and once he did, he couldn't stop. She had the most striking hair and eyes he had ever seen. Though she couldn't be much older than him, she was already beginning to develop into what he could already guess would one day be a breathtaking woman. While he stared openly at her, he was lost in thought and didn't see that the girl had caught him and was now walking towards him. "Is there a reason you are crouched next to this tree and looking at me like that?" Realizing himself and how awkward this must seem, he quickly stood after shutting his book loudly. With a scowl, she searched his eyes for signs of guilt.

"Please excuse me, you appeared angry and I did not want to further it by surprising you." The wrinkle between her brows relaxed some as she took in his obviously contrite demeanor.

"Fair enough, so who are you?" Now that he had a chance to really see what she was wearing, he realized that she was covered nearly head to toe in armor. A girl in armor? Why was she ready for battle?

"I'm Jellal, what's your name?" He wondered if she would start treating him like he was on a pedestal like other kids once they found out his name, however, she seemed unfazed by his admission.

"Erza Knightwalker." Her tone was stern, as if she were trying to suppress the femininity of it. Now that he thought about it, the name Knightwalker sounded familiar. Wasn't his father's captain named Knightwalker?

"Like Captain Knightwalker, of the Royal Army?" A note of awe might have been heard in the timbre of his voice since he had well protected his father on multiple occasions.

"The very same." Apparently he had brought up a sore subject, because she barely restrained a roll of her eyes. He too was a taciturn person, so maybe this was a family trait. For a few beats too long there was silence between them. Wanting to break the tension, he spoke again.

"So why were you so upset before?"

"Is that really your business?" She had clipped the last word harshly and slung a hand to her waist. At least he didn't have to worry about her taking favor with him simply because of his name; clearly that was not going to be the case with her.

"I was only asking in case you wanted to talk about it with someone," Pausing for a moment to make his point, he continued after her eyes dropped to the ground, "besides yourself." Shooting him a piercing glare with her burnished eyes at his jibe, Erza crossed her arms defensively over her chest.

"If you must know, my father and I were arguing over my brother taking his place in the Royal Army. We came here today so that King Faust would be able to see the skill that he possesses and assess if he will be a suitable replacement for my father." Bitterness tinged her words, and he couldn't help but wish to see what she would look like with a smile coloring her face. She grew pensive over this, but began again after letting out an exasperated breath. "I don't get it, I have trained just as hard as my brother, and even managed to become faster, more agile and infinitely more skilled than he is. Why should he step into position when I can better defend my King?" Her fiery expression left no doubt in his mind that she was capable, though he knew that if his father had a choice, he would pick her brother.

"Well, when I am king someday, I would be honored to have you at my side." He watched her closely to gage her reaction, though he was pleasantly surprised when only her eyes widened momentarily and a genuine smile lit her face. Her hand reached forward, and he looked at her curiously.

"Alright, I'll train even harder and when that day comes, I won't let you down." Clasping his own hand with hers, for the first time ever, he felt real excitement for the day when he would reign.

* * *

Now, here he was reigning, and yet she was unwilling to be at his side. Sure, she would take orders grudgingly, but he wanted for her to respect and admire him. He wanted her to want to be with him, not feel forced. Had she really grown to hate him so much during his absence? Couldn't she see that he had left to better their world, to teach it self sufficiency in a way that didn't take advantage of Earthland? He needed to remember that the Knightwalker he had spent time with as a young boy was much different from the hardened warrior he knew now. As much as it bothered him to acknowledge, he knew that she had killed many people. Even worse than that was that a number of those were counterparts of his beloved guild. Despite knowing this, he still found it impossible to hate her for her actions. She had been abstaining from further violence against them by his decree, but he had to believe that within her was the same girl he had once known. He wondered briefly if this was exactly how Scarlet must have felt about her Jellal, unable to cut the red string of fate that tied them together. He wished he could talk to Erza about everything, but time and habit had changed his once extroverted personality.

He had grown used to playing the part of the ever silent Mystogan in Earthland, especially while in the presence of Erza Scarlet. So when he started permanently residing in Edolas, where he was constantly around Knightwalker, lines were beginning to blur for him. Earthland had been a lonely, but wonderful place to him. When he had realized that there was a parallelism to both of their worlds, he discovered that he too had a doppelganger. Given the history that he came to learn about between his alter and the crimson haired requip mage, he did the only thing that he could to protect her from further pain and concealed his identity.

Through the years he had become adept at lulling the entire guild of Fairy Tail to sleep so that he could be within her presence as little as possible, and continue to remain an active member. The worst thing he could do to her was to let her see his face. He had taken great care to hide his appearance; wearing multiple layers of clothing, wrapping nearly every square inch of bare skin, and even utilizing a full coverage mask. Still, he had always found himself drawn to the woman, despite knowing that he was setting himself up for failure. She wasn't his Erza. However, he had been unable to stop the concern for her well being, or the thoughts and images of the voluptuously developed woman she had become. Who undoubtedly Knightwalker had become. Which was exactly what had led to Scarlet seeing his face.

In a moment of stupidity at her presence, he had been taken off guard by Laxus and had his mask torn to pieces, leaving his identity exposed for the requip mage to see. The look that crossed her face then was enough for his stomach to drop. Shock warred with a clearly suppressed elation and confusion battled for control of her face, and he couldn't help but curse himself. Though he explained that he was not who she thought he was, he could still see what his appearance was costing her. So he did the only thing he could, and left. As much as he might have wanted to stay and help her, he knew that unlike what Laxus had said that she was not weak and would be fine. If he stayed and answered her questions, he would be putting them both in positions that were unnecessary. While she might look like her Edolas double, she was not and vice versa. To lessen the space between them would just be embracing an illusion.

After leaving that day, he had turned all of his attention to the destruction of Anima. The sooner it was taken care of, the sooner he could go back to his own world.

* * *

Since his permanent return, Jellal had tried time and again to speak with Erza. When initial attempts at speaking with her about her personal life had failed horribly, he had moved onto subjects that she was expert on and felt more inclined to answer. He found himself doing his best to understand every aspect of security for the sole purpose of listening to her velvet voice. She had started to pick up on this tactic, and began forming her own of complete avoidance of him. Of course after she had left to deal with multiple long distance problems in a row, he caught on to her counter move. He had immediately issued new assignments upon her last arrival, all of which involved being near to him at all times.

The latest, and in his opinion, best idea yet had been one suggested by Coco. Coco, who in her bluntness called him out on his 'obvious' attraction to the Captain and began listing the ways in which he was failing to capture her affections. She was quite perceptive and he was glad that she was willing to help him. The girl was possibly a bit too comfortable with him, despite his position as king, but who was he to turn away good advice? Sparring had been a brilliant way to both spend one on one time with the redhead and be close to her. Fighting was the one time that she was completely unguarded, he would never tell her that, but still it was true. He could tell by the set of her jaw or the slant of her eyes, if she was determined, or how impressed she was with something he did. Once in a while he could even tell that she was genuinely having a good time with him. Though as soon as she slipped up and exposed this, her scowl would quickly fit back into place.

Today when they had sparred, he had sensed something else in her entirely. Whenever her redwood eyes would fix on him, there was a simmering heat in their depths. With their proximity he had felt her lingering touches, when normally she would give him as much space as possible. Typically she would waste no time in getting this part of her day over with, but today, even she seemed like she wanted to prolong their feud. So when he found himself on top of her warm, sweat slicked form, he was unable to stop himself from indulging in long buried desires. Every time he had ever followed Scarlet, he had been thinking of Knightwalker. Every time he had heard her throaty laugh, he pictured that it was his Erza with her head tipped back in mirth. Finally today, he had been able to taste her. He had spent years away from her, away from her alter, away from everyone, and at last he was bridging that gap. He was going to make up for all the times he'd lost with her.

When she had pushed him from her, he had stared open mouthed like a fool as she had quickly gotten to her feet and brushed his kiss from her now swollen lips. He had stood up slowly, taking in what had just occurred before he had the sense to call after her retreating back. How had he misread her so completely? He had been positive the same longing he could hardly contain had shown in her eyes. He didn't understand her at all. Everything about her body had been signaling her assent. Apparently, he truly didn't know anything about her...Erza who he used to know better than any other, was now a total stranger.

* * *

While he was going to apologize for his clearly unexpected behavior, he hadn't been planning on pretending it hadn't happened. So when she said that she wanted to do just that, his pride had been wounded into easy acquiescence for the sake of not seeming affected by her dismissal of their closeness. However, he was anything but cool and aloof. When he saw the object of many years of frustrated and solitary silence walk away from him, yet again that day, he knew that he couldn't give up. Something had happened to make her as closed off as she now was, and he wasn't going to let her contrary actions and words dissuade him from his course. He would know Erza Knightwalker again, and he would find out what was prohibiting her from doing so.

* * *

**AN: Well now, I finally have a storyline planned out in my mind. Originally when I posted the one shot, I had no direction I was going particularly, but now because the encouragement I received, I figured that out :)**

**Please review and let me know what you think so far!**


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